From Russia With Love

If there's one word to describe the cathedrals and palaces in St. Petersburg, Russia, it's opulent. St. Isaac's, the orthodox cathedral that was completed in 1858 (after forty years of construction) is a prime example of Russian over-the-topness with its 600 square meters of mosaic, 400kg of gold detailing, and 1,000 tons of bronze. There's so much happening that it's easy to overlook the eight massive malachite columns fronting the altar, but woah, those columns. On our first visit, this October, it took a great deal of self-restraint not to wander up and pet them. Needless to say, the stone made an impression. With moody swirls streaking like smoke across green velvet, malachite, which is native to Russia, is undeniably sexy in all its iterations. Here are a few malachite inspired pieces to get your holiday wishlist started.